The Composition and Cultural Rhetoric Doctoral Program (CCR)

Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition Internships for CCR Doctoral Students

Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition Internships for CCR doctoral students are offered based on program needs and plans and usually carry one annual course release per internship, although they may be compensated by stipends instead. The internships program began in the late nineties as a way to help graduate students gain leadership and administrative experience, and the internships are funded by the Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition budget.

Interns are expected to work a full 5 hours per week on their internships during the academic year, starting at the beginning of the fall semester and ending around May 15, although the amount of hours per week may vary based on the agreements worked out between the supervisor and intern. Interns are expected to file a mid-and end-of-year report with the Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition Chair about their internship accomplishments. If students do not complete their hours during the academic year, they will be expected to carry them over and complete them in the summer.

Supervision:

The internships are supervised by the individual internship area supervisors and also by the Chair of Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition. The intern is responsible for tracking hours and making sure that he/she fulfills all duties and obligations associated with the internship.

Application process:

Late in the spring semester or early in the summer, the Chair of the Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition will send out an email specifying what internships will be available and will call for interested CCR students to apply. The date of release for this information may depend on budget negotiations and program needs, so students should be aware that this is a dynamic process that depends quite a bit on budgetary and program situations that cannot always be predicted well in advance.

In the application, students should explain why they are interested in the internship and what qualifications, interests, and skill sets they bring to the work. It is useful for the applicants to talk to the appropriate internship supervisor and also to recent interns, although applicants should keep in mind that the internships vary from year to year so what the prior intern did may not be exactly what the next year’s intern will end up doing. Graduate students should be in good academic standing and not have outstanding incompletes. Graduate students who do not have TAships but who work as PWIs are also eligible to apply for these internships.

It is possible to be appointed to an internship for more than one year, although the department tries to rotate internships as much as possible. In some cases, internships do go unfilled when there are no applications or no one suitable for the role.

Selection process:

The Chair of the Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition in conjunction with the specific internship supervisor will select the interns. The Graduate Director will be asked for feedback about the students’ degree progress. Applicants will be notified about whether or not they received an internship by August 1st at the latest. A list of those who are serving as interns is announced on the CCR listserv by the start of the fall semester.

Types of internships available:

Some of these internships are long-term ones, and other are offered on a one-year basis according to department needs. Typical internships may include, but are not limited to:

Technology Intern: Works with George Rhinehart, Assistant Director for Writing Technologies, to support the technology-related initiatives in the WP. Other activities will be negotiated according to the intern’s interests.

Writing Center Intern: The Writing Center Intern will work with the WC Director to implement the Writing Center’s strategic plan by developing best practices for consultants, strengthening the Center’s relationships with the Writing Program and larger University, and maintaining the Center’s virtual and physical space. This internship is particularly useful for those seeking to gain WC leadership experience before graduation

Administration Intern: works with Director/Chair, DUGS, and Asst Director on WPA-related projects, including assessment, service learning and community engagement initiatives, lower division course development and special projects, the Undergraduate Writing and Rhetoric Major, selected professional development events, and other projects related to the administrative work of Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition. This internship is particularly useful for those seeking to gain WPA experience before graduation.

Other internships may include journal/publication intern, graduate program intern, or community partner intern or others that might arise with department needs.